Begin Again
by legendaryxlink
Summary: She had thought that was it for him. That he would never again be the Sasuke she knew. That he would always be trapped in darkness, and his only freedom, his only real relief, would be death. That sadness would forever engulf him until death came to embrace him. SasuxSaku
1. Chapter One

Title: Begin Again  
Summary: She had thought that was it for him. That he would never again be the Sasuke she knew. That he would always be trapped in darkness, and his only freedom, his only real relief, would be death. That sadness would forever engulf him until death came to embrace him.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.  
Rating: M  
Author's Notes: Enjoy, guys. Reviews will be appreciated xo

**Chapter One **

To say that Sasuke was tired would be an understatement.

To say that he was _exhausted_ would be putting it mildly.

Sasuke was drained.

He hadn't known that the war would tire him out so much. He hadn't known how much damn _effort_ he had to put into defending himself and his stupid teammates.

His annoying, clingy teammates.

He shifted in his hospital bed, and grunted at the sharp pain in his side. He wouldn't have gotten that deep gash if it hadn't been for _her._

Sakura.

She was so annoying. He had never met someone so damn annoying, and he had known Naruto all his life. The memory of what happened was still fresh in his mind. He could still see Sakura's tears and her open-mouthed shock when he jumped in front of her, just in time to take the hit.

_"Sasukeh!" Naruto shouted frantically as he battled Madara himself. "Look! Sakura! Quick!"_

_Sasuke turned his head and his eyes widened when he saw the sharp blade heading straight for the pinkette, who was not paying any attention to her surroundings. How could she be so dumb? They were at war, for Kami's sake. She should be more alert!_

_Acting quickly, he ran to her, hoping to deflect the blade and save them both from any injury. But that wasn't the case. He was so worried about her, he couldn't think properly, and-_

_Boom._

_It landed in his side. _

_"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed, rushing to his side. "Sasuke, whatever you do, don't close your eyes!"_

_Despite her warning, he couldn't help himself. His eyelids fluttered closed._

"Sasuke-san?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at the nurse smiling down at him. "How are you feeling, Sasuke-san? Are your injuries any better?"

He gave a gruff nod.

"Well, that's good to know. Are you in any pain? Would you like your pain killers?"

Another nod.

"Very well, Sasuke-san. I'll be right back with them. By the way, you have a visitor here to see you. Someone who claims to be your best friend and keeps calling you _teme. _Would you like to see him?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Dobe. What an idiot. He nodded again and the nurse scurried out of the room. A moment later, the door slammed open and Naruto strolled in, a satisfied look on his face. Sasuke scowled at him. Naruto had healed so quickly.

"Teme," Naruto greeted, grinning at him.

"Dobe."

"How are ya feeling?"

A pause. Sasuke was contemplating whether to answer him or not. "...Fine."

"Good to hear, buddy. Hey, Kakashi can't wait to see you. He almost cried when I told him you were back."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"...Nah. But he's excited."

Sasuke rolled his eyes again.

"Sakura's pretty glad, too."

"Hn."

"Even though she's pissed at you."

"For what?"

"Oh, you know," Naruto said, nonchalantly, "for leaving the village and trying to kill her and then trying to destroy the village. Usual stuff. No big deal. Happens to people all the time." Naruto grinned, and Sasuke couldn't help a small smirk at his friend's stupid joke.

"You're gonna apologize though, right?"

Sasuke looked away, a sudden guilt crawling into his heart.

Naruto's face grew serious. "Teme...you're not gonna apologize?"

He said nothing.

"She loves you, you know that...right?"

"I know, idiot," Sasuke snapped. Of course he knew Sakura loved him. Of course he knew that. How could he forget? She completely filled the emptiness in him back in their genin days. She made him feel important, wanted...she made him feel loved and accepted. And it's not like he wasn't thankful for that. He was. He always had been. "She tried to kill me too."

She had tried to kill him. She had _tried_ to _kill_ him. Sakura, of all people. Sakura, who he thought would never turn against him, even though he had betrayed her. Sakura, who loved him to the very last. He remembered the way his chest tightened when he felt her presence behind him, turning to see the knife at his back...

Anger had fueled him. Hot, dark anger that was too evil and too cruel for words.

He had already been angry, because when Kakashi deflected his first attack against her, there was a kind of pathetic relief in the pit of his stomach and he _hated_ it.

"Right. But she did it out of love. Can you say the same?"

"...Fuck off, dobe."

Naruto threw his hands up in the air, as if surrendering. "Hey, whatever, Sasuke, I'm just saying...no one has loved you like Sakura, and if you think she's going to come crawling back to you after all that's happened, you're a moron."

"You're the moron. Now get out."

"You better apologize."

"Get _out."_

**XX**

Sakura always had a good life.

Good friends, good parents, a good home, good food, good vibes.

Just an all-in-all, happy, normal lifestyle.

She was content like that. She had never wanted things to change. She had never wanted to meet _him._

But she did.

Looking back, she'd like to that that maybe she never really loved him as much as she thought. She'd like to think that it was all just some big, stupid crush that was fuelled by her lust for him.

She knew, however, that would be lying to herself.

And she wasn't one to lie.

Well, except for sometimes. When it was completely necessary.

There are many things she wished to say to him.

Like how much she adored his rebellious hair, or how much she loved his distant black eyes, no matter how cold or bitter they seemed. She'd tell him that she loved his little smirks, or the way he would use annoyance to cover his amusement. She'd tell him that she loved his deep, smooth voice or his woodsy, masculine scent. She'd tell him that she loved when he fell asleep, because his face would relax and it would seem as if he had no struggles or pain.

She would tell him, again, how much he meant to her.

How much she loved him.

How all she ever wished for him was happiness-even when his hand was wrapped around her neck. She would ask him what he meant when he said _thank you._ Two simple words. Two simple words that felt as if they held so much meaning for her.

For them.

Yes. There were many, many things she wished to say to him. Many things about him that left her breathless.

She had thought that was it for him. That he would never again be the Sasuke she knew. That he would always be trapped in darkness, and his only freedom, his only real relief, would be death. That sadness would forever engulf him until death came to embrace him.

And then he jumped in front of her.

It seemed like a blur at the time. She hadn't expected it. Shikamaru had been saying something to her, and she had let her guard down to listen. What she didn't know was that Shikamaru was just warning her about the blade.

And when she turned, she thought, _that's it, then. It's over._

It was definitely a surprise when Sasuke jumped in front of her, the look on his face a mix between panic and annoyance. When the blade lodged into him, it felt like the earth had stopped moving.

And all she could think was, _that damn bastard! He better not be dead! He better be alive, and stay alive!_

Sakura was pretty sure she had screamed out to him, but she couldn't quite remember.

"Sakura? Are you even listening to me?"

She snapped to attention and peered at Ino. "Yes, of course."

Ino frowned. "Then what did I just say?"

Sakura pressed her lips together and smiled sheepishly. "I don't know."

The blond sighed in exasperation. "Come _on,_ Sakura. You have to tell me what I should wear for the festival. It's _tonight,_ and I want Shikamaru to ask me already!"

"Why don't you ask him?"

Ino gaped. "Are you stupid or something, billboard brow? That's not how it works. The guy always asks the girl first. It's a code."

"A _code?"_ Sakura rolled her eyes. "Please, Ino. That's ridiculous. If you want something, go get it."

As if on cue, the two girls looked up and saw Shikamaru walking down the street, hands in his pockets, staring at nothing, cigarette dangling from his lips.

"In this case, what you want is Shikamaru. And I will admit, he's hot. So go get him."

_"Sakura-"_

"Go!" Sakura said, shoving her forward. She watched, disappointed, as Ino bumped into him, blushed, mumbled an apology and darted away.

She sighed heavily. Maybe it was time to visit Sasuke. She hadn't visited him ever since he was put in the hospital. She hadn't seen him since the war. In all honesty, she was avoiding him.

She couldn't bear to look him in the eyes and watch him reject her again.

It would kill her.

But she knew that the only reason he has been in the hospital for so long was because of the injury he had protected her from.

Maybe she should bring him something.

So she bought some apples, and a pretty, white rose, and made her way over to see the man she was so desperately in love with.

She prayed everything would go well.

**Did you guys like it? A little boring, but, it will get more entertaining, I promise! This was only the first chapter, after all. Anyway, review please! Much love xo **


	2. Chapter Two

**Title: **Begin Again

**Summary: **She had thought that was it for him. That he would never again be the Sasuke she knew. That he would always be trapped in darkness, and his only freedom, his only real relief, would be death. That sadness would forever engulf him until death came to embrace him.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto.

**Rating: **M

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys, thanks for reviewing! Here's the next chapter, enjoy!

**Chapter Two**

Sakura hadn't expected it.

Mind you, she hadn't expected a big, warm hug as a greeting, but she hadn't expected something like _this._

Almost as soon as she walked in, Sasuke's tired eyes turned to something so _bitter._ She should have known to leave right away, when he looked at her with those eyes.

But she didn't.

She stayed. She walked closer to him, plastering a fake, tight smile on her face. She should have known. She should have _known._ He had made sure to show her that _no,_ she was definitely not welcomed there. He knocked the apples out of her hand, and the familiar feelings that tugged at her heart made her feel small and pathetic.

"Throw the flower out, too," he snapped at her.

"Sasuke, I don't understand-"

"That's right. You don't understand. You never understand. Get out."

"Sasuke-"

"What's the matter? I'm no longer Sasuke_-kun?" _he mocked, and the cruelness in his words brought tears to her eyes.

"Y-you're being a jerk, Sasuke. S-stop it."

"Stop stuttering. Get out of my face."

"I-I just wanted to make sure that you were-"

"Get out, Sakura. Stop crying. You look pathetic."

She remembered the way her hands had been trembling, and she remembered how his eyes flicked to her hands and then back to her face, and he almost looked vulnerable. She remembered the hatred on his face slowly fading as she backed out of the room, stuttering a bunch of apologies, but she did not hear what he said to her because she didn't want to know. She didn't want to hear anymore. Her heart hurt too much.

**XX**

_I don't need her. I don't care._

Sasuke told himself this repeatedly, but the more he said it, the more he knew it wasn't true. His mind could echo the words forever, and he would know that he couldn't deny the way his heart constricted painfully in his chest when she walked out the door, hands shaking and all. He had said such awful words to her, but only because the moment she walked in, his whole body went tense. There was something different about her, something different about the way she held herself. She was nervous, but brave. She looked strong, yet weak. She looked...beautiful.

Sasuke did not remember her being beautiful.

He did not remember paying attention to the way her pink hair fell perfectly, or the way her green eyes sparkled, or the way her skin looked so milky white and perfect. He did not remember paying attention to the details of her face, or anything else. He did not remember paying attention to how beautiful she was.

Back then, she had meant a lot to him.

But he realized that he never actually took the time to look.

And when she stepped into the room, he definitely looked.

And he liked what he saw.

And it scared the shit out of him.

So he drove her away.

He hadn't planned on being such an asshole. He had planned to listen to her talk because all she ever did was talk, and nod and agree with whatever she said and they would be done. He hadn't known his body would react so strangely to her beauty. Damn, he hadn't known she was that beautiful.

He sighed, frustrated with himself. He had found girls attractive before, sure. But he never wanted to touch them or talk to them or anything. He just wasn't interested, and he didn't think he would ever be.

All Sakura had to do was step into the room and he found that he could definitely get interested. He suddenly wanted to touch her. He wanted to touch her pink hair and run his fingers across her soft-looking skin. He wanted to make her laugh, and he wanted to kiss her.

To _kiss _her.

Can you believe that? Sasuke Uchiha wanted to _kiss_ Sakura Haruno.

The annoying forehead girl.

What was wrong with him?

**XX**

One month passed. Sasuke was released from the hospital. Things were slowly getting back to normal.

Except now, Sakura refused to have anything to do with him. When Team 7 was together for missions, she would stay as far away from him as possible. She ignored him when they passed by each other on the street, and it pissed him the fuck off because she laughed with _Naruto _and trained with _Naruto_ and talked to _Naruto_ and smiled at _Naruto._

He wanted to hit the dobe. He wanted to punch him so hard his teeth would be knocked out of his mouth.

Sometimes, when it was late at night, Sasuke would be strolling through the village, only to find himself staring at the little flower shop, eyes set on the white roses. This was one of those nights. It was warm outside, and the air smelled like grass and mud and summer. It was deathly quiet, and there was no one around.

He wondered why he had ever been so stupid.

Footsteps approached, but for some reason, Sasuke had already guessed who it was.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke glanced up to find Sakura standing there, looking nervous. She bit her lower lip and he realized he was kind of blushing. He looked away. "Hn."

"Why...why are you standing out here in the middle of the night, staring at the shop?"

_Because I miss you. I miss you, loser._

Her voice was soft and tentative, as if carefully inspecting her words before saying them. As if she did not want to upset him.

When he didn't answer, she said, "You're not planning to leave again, are you?" She let out a breathless, tense laugh.

He stiffened. "No."

A moment went by before she replied. "Good," she said softly. "Good, because I wouldn't want you to."

His eyes flicked up to hers. "...I thought you hated me."

She smiled, but it was a smile that Sasuke hated, because he knew it was fake and he knew he was the reason for it. "I could never hate you."

"Hn."

"Well...I guess I'll be going now, then. Good night."

"Yeah."

As she began to walk, Sasuke suddenly muttered, "Wait."

Her green eyes pierced through him. "Yes?"

He wanted to say something. Anything that would make her stay. Anything to show her how sorry he really was, and how much he appreciated her and regretted what he had said. He wanted to say something. But he didn't.

"Nothing," he murmured, averting his gaze. She smiled at him, and his chest tightened because her expression showed that she knew he was not going to say anything to her. She already knew he was not capable of fixing things. She already expected his murmured _nothing._

She continued to walk and he continued to stare at her until she was behind him. And when he looked back, he realized that this time, _she_ was walking away from _him._

And he wasn't so sure he could handle that.

**How was it? Heh, I hope you guys enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated! Thanks! Much love xo **


	3. Chapter Three

Title: Begin Again

Summary: She had thought that was it for him. That he would never again be the Sasuke she knew. That he would always be trapped in darkness, and his only freedom, his only real relief, would be death. That sadness would forever engulf him until death came to embrace him.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Rating: M

Author's Notes: Well, this took a while...but here it is! Thanks for the reviews xo

**Chapter Three**

Naruto had never been one to back out of a fight.

Oh, no. He would _never_ admit defeat, and that was why he couldn't be beaten. He had too much strength to lose.

So when Sasuke had the audacity to waltz up to him as if he was a king, and demand that he fight him right then and there for reasons unbeknownst to the blond, he had to accept without hesitation.

Even though he was in the middle of his ramen.

"Teme," Naruto hissed as the black-eyed boy landed a hard punch to his jaw. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," he snapped, pulling away. "Nothing's the matter with me!"

They had been going at it for hours. They were both sweaty and bloody, and for the first time Naruto was not in the mood to fight his best friend.

"I'm done with this," Naruto said, panting. "I'm not fighting anymore. I just want my ramen, man."

Sasuke, who was also impossibly breathless, opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted when a certain pink-haired girl showed up with a shy Hyuuga at her side.

"What are you guys doing?" Sakura asked, but she was looking only at Naruto. Sasuke glared.

"Teme won't leave me alone to finish my ramen!" Naruto said in annoyance. "He's trying to kill me!"

"Is that so?" Sakura replied, giggling, but she still wasn't looking at Sasuke. "Well, don't let us get in the way of your ramen also, Naruto. We're here because Hinata wants to ask you something."

Naruto's attention went to Hinata, and immediately a blush spread to her face. "U-um...N-Naruto-kun, I was just w-wondering if you wanted to, um-"

"Go out on a date with her," Sakura finished, grinning. Sasuke twitched. She never smiled at _him_ like that anymore.

At first, Naruto's eyes widened in confusion. Then, his face broke into a big smile, and he wrapped his arms around Hinata, despite the sweat covering his body. "Hell yeah, I would!"

"Naruto, don't-"

Sakura's words were cut short when Hinata's body fell limp with unconsciousness. She sighed. "Give her to me," she said.

"Well, since I've got a date tonight, what about you two?" Naruto suggested as he handed Hinata over to Sakura. "We can double date."

"Who's 'you two'?" Sakura asked, frowning.

"Y'know, you and Sasuke-teme."

Sakura flushed and Sasuke's glare intensified.

"How about it?" Naruto said, oblivious to their reactions. "It'll be fun!"

"Naruto, I don't think-"

"Just shut up, dobe."

"Since Sasuke over here has never been on a date before, I think it's fitting that he goes with the only girl he actually tolerates-"

_"Naruto," _Sasuke growled. "Enough."

"Maybe you guys can even kiss-"

At that moment, Sakura's vibrant green eyes flicked up to Sasuke's, and when she saw the look on his face, she flushed again, but this time in anger.

"Forget it, Naruto," she snapped, not taking her eyes off Sasuke's. "Clearly the idea of going out with me is horrifying to your friend here."

Sasuke's eyes sliced into hers, and the burning look in them made her very nervous. "I get...I get that you don't like me that way," she mumbled to him, taking a step closer so that they were face to face. Well, kind of. He was taller than her, but whatever. He stared at her. "But...you know how I feel about you. So you don't-you don't have to be a jerk about it!"

He didn't answer for a moment, which bothered her, because it gave her time to think about their close proximity. Gave her time to notice the sweat glistening his chest, and the dried up blood on his cheekbone, and the smell of him, and those piercing black eyes that haunted her every movement, her every dream. Her heart beat sped up, and she wondered when she'd stop feeling like this about him.

"I know how you feel about me," he said, keeping a blank look on his face. "And you should stop."

She gaped, waiting for an explanation. "Excuse me?"

"You should stop feeling that way about me. Because I don't feel that way about you." He paused, wondering if it was normal to want to kiss someone so badly. He didn't realize how good of a liar he actually was. "I...don't need you, Sakura."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"You need me."

This was true. She couldn't deny it. But she hated hearing it, and she hated knowing that _he _knew it.

"That makes you weak. I don't think of you that way." His jaw clenched at the lie, and then there was something, something small in the pit of his belly, a sad little hope that maybe she could see right through him. Maybe she knew he was lying. Maybe she knew what he really wanted to say, and could understand the emotions that he could never put into words. "So forget about me. I've already forgotten about you."

When he saw the look on her face, his hope vanished, and he knew that she believed him. She believed him, and it killed her.

"Fine," she croaked, despising the way her tears rolled so effortlessly down her cheeks. "Fine. If that's what you want, _Sasuke-kun,_ then fine. I'll leave you alone from now on."

His eyes narrowed at the mocking way she said his name.

"I'm going to forget about _you, _and find a guy who really appreciates me. I'm going to find a guy who actually _cares."_

He scowled.

"I hope you're happy _alone, _Sasuke, because you should know that there's no one in the world who loved you more than me."

He twitched.

"Good-bye, Sasuke."

He looked away. He was not going to watch her walk away from him. Not again.

"Teme," Naruto mumbled, shaking his head in disappointment. "What did you _do?"_

"Nothing."

**XX**

"It's time to let it go."

Sakura crossed her arms against her chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do." Ino rolled her eyes. "Stop trying to lie to me of all people, Sakura. I can tell when you're lying."

"Let go of _what, _exactly?"

"The impossible dream that Sasuke will love you. He won't."

Sakura glared. "I think he already cleared that up. Thanks for the reminder."

Ino sighed. "You know, Sakura...maybe he just needs time."

"Time? _Time? _I think he's had enough _time." _She shook her head furiously. "No. He doesn't need time. He tried to _kill _me before. That's-"

"You tried to kill him too."

She gaped. "I-what? No! That's different!"

"Is it? Is it really _that_ different? Can you imagine how he felt, turning to see the one person who promised to love him forever and never give up on him, holding a kunai to his back?"

"I-I didn't want him to slip further into evil, I-"

"Because you thought there wasn't another way. You thought there was no hope for him." She shook her head. "You gave up."

"Pig," she scowled, turning away, trying to ignore the gnawing at her heart. "It was different."

"I'm sure it was, Forehead."

Sakura said nothing. She had nothing really to say. Sasuke had been evil at the time. How could he have possibly even felt something when she tried to kill him? Did it actually hurt him?

No. It couldn't have. Sakura had seen the look in his eyes. She had seen the madness swirling in them. That part of Sasuke didn't _feel_ anything but hatred and anger and bloodlust. Right?

_Right?_

**XX**

Ino would probably be proud of her.

Despite everything she had said, there she was. Standing on his doorstep, holding a bag of tomatoes.

To apologize.

Maybe he didn't deserve it, but then again, it wasn't really his fault. _She _had found him with the full intent of ending his life. She was the one who couldn't handle the fact that he didn't feel the same way about her. Even though it hurt a lot more than necessary, it wasn't his fault that he didn't love her back. Hell, at least he told her the truth.

She cleared her throat, swallowed her pride and knocked.

**That was chapter three! What happens in the next chapter will probably be unexpected, but it's better that way! Review please! Much love xo**


	4. Chapter Four

Title: Begin Again

Summary: She had thought that was it for him. That he would never again be the Sasuke she knew. That he would always be trapped in darkness, and his only freedom, his only real relief, would be death. That sadness would forever engulf him until death came to embrace him.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Rating: M

Author's Notes: Thanks for reviewing, guys! Here's the next chapter. Xo

Chapter Four

"What do you want?"

Sakura pressed her lips together, her cheeks heating at the sight before her. There stood Sasuke, clad in only a towel hanging low on his hips. His body was wet, his hair dripping. He glared at her, oblivious to the affect he had on the poor pinkette.

"I-um...hi," she said stupidly.

"What do you want?" he repeated, harsher than before.

"I just-I mean, I came to talk to you." She held up the bag of tomatoes, as if it were a peace offering. "But I can see that you're not decent. So I'll come back another ti-"

He retreated back into his house, leaving the door wide open, an offer to come inside. She wondered for a moment if she should really enter his house while he was half naked. But her hesitation disappeared almost immediately, because this was _Sasuke,_ who hated even the slightest touch of someone else's skin.

She walked in, closing the door gently behind her. "Sasuke-kun?" she murmured, following him into the living room. She held out the bag of tomatoes again. "These...these are for you."

He glanced at the tomatoes and then back up at her. He didn't take them. "Why are you here?"

"Like I said, I want to talk to you."

"So talk."

"Could you put some clothes on?"

"No."

She placed the tomatoes on a table and bit her lip. "I...I just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier. I mean, I guess I still had bad feelings about you because you tried to, you know, kill me." She let out a nervous laugh. "But then again, I tried to kill you too. So I guess I have no right to be angry. And, um, it's not your fault that you don't feel that way about me. You can't force someone to love you, and-"

"...Sakura."

"I just think that-"

"Sakura."

"But I think we should-"

_"Sakura."_

"...Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"Just shut up," he said, running a hand through his wet hair. "That's enough."

"Did it hurt you?" she asked bluntly. "Did it hurt you when I tried to kill you?"

A pause. Then, _"What?"_

"Did it _hurt_ you, Sasuke-kun?"

"Nothing hurts me," he lied, and then turned and started making his way towards the bathroom. Sakura followed.

"O-oh," she replied quietly. "R-right. I kind of forgot you were...you know, _you. _Untouchable or whatever."

Sasuke stopped in front of the open bathroom door and turned to face her with a raised eyebrow.

"What I mean is that n-nothing hurts you, and..." she stopped, shook her head, and started again. "Never mind. I guess I should have known that me of all people wouldn't be able to...hurt you. Or make you feel anything, for that matter." Again, she laughed, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, and Sasuke noticed. He didn't like it. And it bothered him that she didn't understand that in actuality, _she_ of all people could make him feel more than he could ever want to.

"Well? Are we done here?" he asked.

"Are we okay now? Is everything...okay between us?"

"Nothing was ever wrong between us," he told her, and they both knew he was lying.

"Right. Well, um-"

"Why did you try to kill me?"

"What?"

"You heard me," he snapped. "Why did you want to kill me?"

"I didn't _want _to. I just thought I had to, because you were so consumed by evil, and I figured that the only way to get you to stop was to-"

"End my life?"

"Sasuke-kun..."

"Nice to see how quickly you gave up on me."

She gaped. "T-that's not fair, I never wanted to do it in the first place! I didn't give up on you, I was just tired of watching you suffer, I didn't want you to be alone-"

"I've always been alone."

"And I hate that. I don't want you to ever be by yourself-"

"Since when was it your job to keep me company?"

"I loved you, Sasuke-kun, I just-"

"You _loved _me?" he asked, his tone as bitter as the look in his eyes.

_I still do, _she wanted to say, but she kept her mouth shut and looked away. "That's not what I meant."

"Forever is not a really long time in your mind, is it?"

He was using her own words back at her, and she hated it. She did love him, she still loved him, and she would _always _love him. He was being so unfair. "Sasuke-kun-"

"I'd like to get back to my shower now," he said tonelessly, gesturing at his wet body, making Sakura's cheeks heat. "By myself. Unless you're planning on joining me, since I can never be _alone."_

She flushed and shook her head. "No," she said softly, not really sure what she was talking about. She turned to walk away and was almost at the door when she heard the quiet call of her name. She stopped, but she didn't turn around.

"Did you mean it?" he asked, and his voice sounded almost weak. "When you said that no one has loved me like you have?"

"Yes, I did, Sasuke-kun."

"...Get out, Sakura."

This time, she did not argue.

XX

"I've seen you suffering long enough. Go make a _move."_

Ino glared at her stupid best friend. "Are you an idiot? How many times do I have to tell you that the _guy_ makes the move? God, you're so dumb."

"Who cares who makes the move?" Sakura snapped. "Shikamaru is the laziest guy on the planet! He doesn't even like to move to use the bathroom! Just _go!"_

"Shut up, Billboard Brow! You don't know anything!"

"Guys, p-please," Hinata murmured. "Let's stop fighting."

"Hinata, stop fidgeting. Your hair will never come out right if you keep moving."

"S-sorry."

"Don't be so rude, Forehead! She's just getting antsy because of how much time you've been spending on her hair!"

"Shut your damn mouth, Ino-pig! We're sitting on the floor of a stupid flower shop for Kami's sake, how fast do you expect me to go? It has to turn out perfect! This is Hinata's first date, and it's with the guy she's in love with!" Sakura glared. "You could be out with the guy you're in love with, too, if you had the balls to approach him."

"The balls to approach who?" a deep, familiar voice drawled, and they all looked up to see Shikamaru standing there, hands in his pockets.

"Ino has a crush on you," Sakura said, smiling up at him.

"I'm going to _kill_ you, Forehead, I swear to-"

"Well, whatever. It's true."

Shikamaru opened his mouth to speak when a certain hyperactive idiot came running in. "Sakura-chan!" he called breathlessly, panting when he reached them. He paused and winked at Hinata. "Hey."

Hinata blushed. "H-hi Naruto-kun."

"What do you want, Naruto?" Sakura asked. "I'm busy."

"There was a flood."

Her eyes widened. "Where? What happened?"

"...In your apartment, Sakura-chan."

Sakura gaped. "N-no way-"

"And I kind of told Sasuke-teme that you'd be sleeping in his apartment until everything sorts out-"

_"WHAT?!"_

"You guys need to learn to bond! We're all teammates, and we-"

"I am going to _kill you!"_

"Sakura-chan-"

"There's no way I'm sleeping there!"

"You...kind of have to."

"Why?!" she shrieked.

"Because I knew you were going to object, so I went to Tsunade and gave her my idea of the whole 'teammates needing to bond' thing. And she agreed that you have to."

Naruto swore he'd never been punched so hard in his life.

Hope you guys enjoyed! Review please, next chapter will be up as soon as possible. Thanks! Much love xo


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